Horse racing-Trailblazer Melham rides Half Yours to Melbourne Cup glory
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MELBOURNE - Jamie Melham become the first female jockey to claim a coveted double in Australian horse racing when she rode Caulfield Cup winner Half Yours to victory in the A$9 million ($5.85 million) Melbourne Cup at Flemington on Tuesday.
Last month, Melham had become the first woman to win the Caulfield Cup in its 149-year history, guiding the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Half Yours to an emphatic victory in the A$5 million handicap over 2,400m.
Under grey skies at Flemington, Melham brought her charge home three lengths ahead of runner-up Goodie Two Shoes with Middle Earth crossing third. Presage Nocturne, the 5/1 favourite, finished 19th of the 24 runners.
"Oh my god. This is what we do it for," said the 29-year-old South Australian, who raced as Jamie Kah until marrying fellow jockey Ben Melham this year.
"This is why we get up out of bed every morning, at 4 a.m. and work our arses off.
"The last 15 years I've been in this industry, it's tough. It's not all glorious and perfect, as everyone can see."
Ten years after Michelle Payne's breakthrough on Prince of Penzance, Melham became just the second woman to win the Melbourne Cup in the two-mile handicap's 165th running.
"I've had an amazing year, amazing year, got married, had some really great days on the track but nothing ever, ever compares to this feeling right now," she said.
"I've just won the Melbourne Cup."
GRANDFATHER OPENING THE GAPS
With rain drenching the track shortly before the race, five-year-old gelding Half Yours jumped from barrier eight at 8/1 odds and held back until the final turn.
Land Legend, ridden by Brazilian "Magic Man" Joao Moreira, was first to make a decisive break, storming eight lengths clear with 800m to the post before fading badly and finishing 22nd.
Half Yours hugged the rail entering the final straight and muscled through the gaps before burning away to a dominant win.
It finished with blood around the mouth but was cleared by stewards who said it had sustained a minor laceration inside its left cheek.
Melham, who raced against husband Ben on Smokin' Romans, the 14th-placed finisher, dedicated her triumph to her grandfather who she said had died last week.
"The last race he watched me in was the Caulfield Cup, and he was such a big supporter of mine," she said.
"So he's up there opening those gaps for me, because I needed a few gaps."
Payne, working as a broadcaster at Flemington, said Melham had made another breakthrough for women in a male-dominated sport.
"The fight that we've obviously had as female riders, to now have Jamie, who has revolutionised racing," said Payne, who famously rode 100/1 chance Prince of Penzance to victory in 2015.
"She's so beautiful to watch in the saddle, riding the horses, working with the horses."
Irish trainer Joseph O'Brien narrowly missed out on a third Melbourne Cup win with Goodie Two Shoes, having claimed "the race that stops the nation" in 2020 with Twilight Payment and 2017 with Rekindling.
His other entrant Al Riffa finished seventh. REUTERS
